Since the 1940s, it has become easier to treat bacterial infections due to the discovery of antibiotics. These drugs work by corrupting active processes in bacteria, such as the ability to make DNA or proteins. By taking antibiotics when we are infected, we kill most... click to read more

Have you taken an antibiotic lately? You're not alone. Almost one in two people will have been dosed with an antibiotic over the last year. Unfortunately, all this antibiotic use is causing the bacteria to become more and more resistant to the drug's effects. We... click to read more

As scientists, we often think of bacteria as free-swimming, lone cells, growing in test tubes. Indeed, the majority of experiments are performed in this kind of environment. However, in reality, bacteria often grow in groups of cells, attached to surfaces. These cellular communities are social;... click to read more

The trillions of microbes that live in our gastrointestinal tract are known as the gut microbiome. It is an "acquired organ" of the body that is essential for the development of immune and metabolic systems and for nutrient digestion and absorption, among other things. As... click to read more

By combining two or more drugs together (synergistic drug approach) it is possible to obtain a greater effect than with an individual drug alone. For example, the treatment of many diseases, ranging from cancer to tuberculosis to chronic diseases, depends on the use of three... click to read more